The present invention relates to a new and improved connection arrangement between the sabot jacket and the sabot tail or rear portion of a sabot projectile.
In its more specific aspect the invention is directed to a new and improved connection between the sabot jacket and the sabot tail or rear portion of a sabot projectile containing a circumferential groove at the sabot tail portion into which protrudes a flange of the sabot jacket, in order to form a connection between the sabot jacket and the sabot tail portion which, on the one hand, withstands the mechanical forces upon firing of the sabot projectile and, on the other hand, is gastight.
According to a state-of-the-art sabot projectile of this type as disclosed, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,466, granted Feb. 10, 1981 and the cognate Swiss Pat. No. 622,833, granted Apr. 30, 1981, the connection between the sabot jacket and the sabot tail or rear portion is configured in such a manner that in the presence of large mechanical forces and appreciable gas pressure there nonetheless exists the danger that the sabot jacket, during firing of the projectile, will prematurely detach from the sabot, or that the connection will not be capable of withstanding the large gas pressure, i.e. is not sufficiently gastight. When the firing weapon fires at a greater firing cadence appreciable acceleration and deceleration forces arise during the infeed of the cartridges to the weapon. Consequently, the danger exists that the connection between the sabot tail portion and the sabot jacket already will become damaged prior to infeed of the projectile into the weapon. The cartridge casing is secured at a circumferential groove of the projectile or at the sabot tail or rear portion, respectively. The deeper that this circumferential groove is that much greater are the forces required for the ejection of the projectile out of the cartridge casing, and thus, the greater the gas pressure at the instant when the projectile exits from the cartridge casing. Therefore, increased requirements are placed upon the gastight connection between the sabot jacket and the sabot tail or rear portion.
In particular, this connection is endangered as long as the projectile, following the ignition of the propellant charge in the cartridge casing, moves through the free flight path and the rotating or guide band is not yet supported at its outer surface upon the weapon barrel wall and the rifling. In the weapon barrel itself the rotating band is pressed against the sabot tail or rear portion.